Appendix I

Encounter-Level Data Summary

The data presented in Chapter 6 of this report summarizes information about the individuals who received high-intensity outreach encounters from the 10 adolescent SPNS projects. This appendix shows a parallel set of figures based on the characteristics of the encounter-level data from those outreach contacts. That is, the following charts are based on data from 2,438 outreach encounters with males, 2,374 outreach encounters with females, and 224 encounters with individuals for whom gender was not recorded. The data presented in this appendix does not represent an unduplicated count of young people; rather, each data point represents the characteristics of a young person during a particular outreach encounter, where a specific individual may have been contacted multiple times.

Figure I-1. Gender composition of high-intensity contacts (N=5,036).

• A total of 2,438 outreach contacts were made with males while 2,374 outreach contacts were made with females. For 224 of the contacts, gender of the client was not recorded.

• Approximately equal numbers of outreach contacts were made with males and females.

Figure I-2. Reasons for high-intensity contacts (N=2,438 males, N=2,374 females).

• Overall, the majority of high-intensity contacts were held only for outreach purposes (82.7 percent for males and 78.0 percent for females).

• A greater percentage of phone call contacts were to females with 8.9 percent, versus 3.0 percent for males.

• In 17.7 percent of the contacts with males and 18.3 percent of the contacts with females, youth were given their first intervention.

Figure I-3. Location of high-intensity contacts (N=2,438 males, N=2,374 females).

• A large proportion of high-intensity outreach contacts were conducted on the street.

• The second most frequent location was at medical clinics.

• The least frequent locations at which high-intensity contacts were held were restaurants and clients’ homes or jobs.

Figure I-4. Racial and ethnic composition of high-intensity contacts (N=2,438 males, N=2,374 females).

• African Americans, Caucasians, and Latinos comprised approximately the same percentage of high-intensity contacts.

• While both the Latino and Caucasian groups contained approximately the same percentage of males and females, there were slightly more males than females in the African American group

Table I-1 shows the number of contacts with males of different ethnic/racial backgrounds who received the various types of outreach. Table I-2 provides the same information for females. Note that the same individual might be represented more than one time in this table because of repeated contacts.

Table I-1
Purposes for Male Contacts of Different Ethnic/Racial Backgrounds

Note. There were 224 contacts for which the gender of the youth was not indicated, 261 for which the ethnic/racial background was not indicated, and seven for which information about gender and ethnic/racial background were not indicated. Cell numbers reflect the number of males who had the column-indicated ethnic/racial background and whose contact was for the row-indicated purpose. The number of youth listed in the parentheses below each contact purpose corresponds to the number of youth (male, female, or of unknown gender) whose contact was indicated as being for that purpose.

Table I-2
Purposes for Female Contacts of Different Ethnic/Racial Backgrounds

Note. There were 224 contacts for which the gender of the youth was not indicated, 261 for which the ethnic/racial background was not indicated, and seven for which information about gender and ethnic/racial background were not indicated. Cell numbers reflect the number of females who had the column-indicated ethnic/racial background and whose contact was for the row-indicated purpose. The number of youth listed in the parentheses below each contact purpose corresponds to the number of youth (male, female, or of unknown gender) whose contact was indicated as being for that purpose.

Figure I-5. Self-identified sexual orientation of high-intensity contacts (N=2,438 males, N=2,374 females).

• The majority of high-intensity contacts were with youth who identified themselves as heterosexual.

• Among youth who identified themselves as gay or lesbian, a greater percentage of the high-intensity contacts were with males (14.6 percent) than with females (5.4 percent).

• Note that in 14.4 percent of the high-intensity contacts with males and 22.7 percent of those with females, sexual orientation of the person was not indicated.

Figure I-6. Selected demographics of high-intensity contacts (N=2,438 males, N=2,374 females).

• A large percentage of contacts were with males and females enrolled in secondary school.

• More males contacted (8.2 percent) than females (5.4 percent) were identified as homeless.

• More males contacted (4.9 percent) than females (2.5 percent) were youth involved in the criminal justice system.

• A slightly higher percentage of females contacted (8.3 percent) than males contacted (7.2 percent) were involved in the mental health service system.

Figure I-7 summarizes the risk behaviors known or observed to be present among the youth seen in high-intensity outreach. In each of the next four figures, there are two types of data shown. The black bars in these charts indicate that the risk behavior was performed by the youth in the last 30 days ("current"). The gray bars indicate that the behavior was performed prior to the last 30 days ("ever"). Thus, risk behaviors denoted as having "ever" happened should be interpreted as having occurred for the youth, but not in the last 30 days. The black and gray bars are shown next to each other horizontally so that the total percentage represents the youth who are known or observed to have performed the behavior at any time, up to and including the last 30 days.⁵

Figure I-7. Current and ever-engaged-in risk behaviors of high-intensity contacts with males (N=2,438).

• A total of 48.2 percent of the high-intensity contacts were with males who had sex with females in the last 30 days. An additional 13.8 percent of these contacts were with males who had done so prior to the last 30 days.

• A total of 34.6 percent of the high-intensity contacts were with males who had unprotected sex with females in the last 30 days. An additional 19.7 percent of these male contacts had done so prior to the last 30 days.

• Of the high-intensity contacts with males, 22.9 percent were with current substance abusers and an additional 12.2 percent were with youth who indicated substance abuse prior to the last 30 days.

Figure I-8. Current and ever-engaged-in risk behaviors of high-intensity contacts with females (N=2,374).

• A total of 52.5 percent of the high-intensity contacts with females were with those who had sex with males in the last 30 days; an additional 11.9 percent of the contacts were with females who had sex with males prior to the last 30 days.

• A total of 39.3 percent of the contacts with females were with those who were known to have had unprotected sex with males in the last 30 days; an additional 17.9 percent of the contacts were with females who had done so prior to the last 30 days.

• Of the high-intensity contacts with females, 17.0 percent were with current substance abusers and an additional 9.2 percent had abused substances prior to the last 30 days.

Figure I-9a. Topics discussed at high-intensity contacts, Part 1 (N=2,438 males, N=2,374 females).

• The most frequent topics of discussion at high-intensity contacts were HIV risk factors and safer sex.

• HIV testing and HIV services were also common topics, discussed at approximately 67 percent and 37 percent, respectively, of high-intensity contacts.

Figure I-9b. Topics discussed at high-intensity contacts, Part 2 (N=2,438 males, N=2,374 females).

• Dating and sex were discussed in approximately 32 percent of the high-intensity contacts.

Figure I-10. Items provided at high-intensity contacts (N=2,438 males, N=2,374 females).

• Brochures were the items most often provided at high-intensity contacts (68.3 percent).

• Condoms were also provided frequently, at 61.9 percent of the contacts.

• Bleach was the least often provided item.

Figure I-11. Service referrals made at high-intensity contacts (N=2,438 males, N=2,374 females).

• A greater percentage of case management referrals were made to males (40.7 percent) than to females (29.8 percent).

• A greater percentage of referrals to HIV testing were given to females (46.4 percent) than to males (41.2 percent).

• Other frequently made referrals were to medical services and self-help groups.

⁵ It is important to study these behaviors in relationship to the age of the respondent. Volume IV of this series ("Technical Appendix to Accompany Analyses of 10 Adolescent-Targeted Projects for HIV/AIDS Services") provides a set of age trend analyses for these behaviors and other indicators mentioned throughout this chapter.

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